Search Basics

Knowing how best to utilize search tools can prove invaluable when researching material for an assignment.

Truncation allows for the retrieval of records showing words with alternate endings.

The asterisk (*) is a popular truncation symbol and is interpreted by most search tools to represent any or no letters following those you have typed in.

Example

If your topic deals with the environment, using the truncation symbol in a search tool may retrieve additional records that may not have been retrieved otherwise:

environment* >> will retrieve >>

environment
environmental
environmentalist
environmentally
environments
environmentalism